Estar Com in Brazilian Portuguese: Talk About Symptoms and Everyday States
Portuguese often pairs estar com with a noun for a condition or need. Learn the pattern in everyday expressions and avoid translating every English ‘have’ literally.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
In Brazilian Portuguese, estar com often describes a temporary condition or sensation. It translates as ‘to have’ in phrases such as estar com gripe (to have the flu), but the Portuguese structure is literally closer to ‘to be with.’ Learn the complete phrase rather than translating the English verb word by word.
Build the pattern estar com + noun
The form of estar changes with the subject: estou com for eu, está com for você or ele/ela, and estamos com for nós. In relaxed conversation, Brazilians commonly shorten estou to tô.
Estou com dor de cabeça hoje.
I have a headache today.
Ela está com gripe e vai descansar.
She has the flu and is going to rest.
A gente está com fome.
We are hungry.
Use estar com for other temporary sensations
The same structure appears beyond illness. Estou com frio means ‘I’m cold,’ and estou com sede means ‘I’m thirsty.’ Context tells you which meaning of the noun is intended. Some expressions are less literal in English, so memorize them as useful chunks.
A different pattern, estar com vontade de + infinitive or noun, expresses wanting or craving something. Keep de before the thing or action: estou com vontade de tomar um café (I feel like having a coffee).
Você está com sede?
Are you thirsty?
Estamos com vontade de comer alguma coisa.
We feel like eating something.
Tô com frio, vou pegar um casaco.
I’m cold, so I’m going to get a jacket.
Choose the phrase that fits the idea
English uses ‘have’ in many expressions, but Portuguese does not always use ter. Compare tenho um carro (I have a car) with estou com fome (I’m hungry). For a temporary feeling or condition, estar com is often the natural choice.
These examples teach language patterns, not a way to diagnose or treat a condition. If you need health guidance, describe what you are experiencing to a qualified professional and ask them directly.
Estou com sono, mas ainda não estou com fome.
I’m sleepy, but I’m not hungry yet.
Ele está com dor no ombro desde ontem.
He has had shoulder pain since yesterday.
Put it into practice
Practice estar with the subject and com with the condition: estou com, você está com, a gente está com. The I Speak Portuguese conversation linked above offers another context for hearing the expression in natural speech.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “She has the flu and is going to rest”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
This guide is an original Real Life Portuguese adaptation of an earlier article from I Speak Portuguese.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.